Provided herein are unitized reagent strips, and methods of using the same. In one aspect, provided is a unitized reagent strip, comprising: a strip with a top side and a bottom side, comprising: a first and a second pipette sheath comprising a opposing sides, said first and second pipette sheaths comprising a first and second pipette tip aperture, respectively, each of which comprises a separate opening on the top side of the strip, and wherein said first and second pipette tip apertures are configured for insertion of a first and second pipette tip into said first and second pipette sheaths, respectively, and wherein each of said first and second pipette sheaths is configured to substantially surround the length of a first and second pipette tip, respectively; a process tube; and a receptacle, comprising an opening through the reagent strip, wherein said receptacle is configured to receive a reagent tube.
In another aspect, provided herein is a method of detecting the presence or absence of a pipette tip within a pipette sheath of a unitized reagent strip, comprising: a strip with a top side and a bottom side, comprising: a first and a second pipette sheath comprising a opposing sides, said first and second pipette sheaths comprising a first and second pipette tip aperture, respectively, each of which comprises a separate opening on the top side of the strip, and wherein said first and second pipette tip apertures are configured for insertion of a first and second pipette tip into said first and second pipette sheaths, respectively, and wherein each of said first and second pipette sheaths is configured to substantially surround the length of a first and second pipette tip, respectively; a process tube; and a receptacle, comprising an opening through the reagent strip, wherein said receptacle is configured to receive a reagent tube, wherein said first pipette sheath comprises an aperture pair, said aperture pair comprising the first cored hole and a second cored hole extending through the sidewall of the first pipette sheath, wherein the first and second cored holes are located on opposing sides of the sidewall of the first pipette sheath, and are positioned at the same distance along the length of the first pipette sheath from the first pipette tip aperture; providing an optical beam through the first cored hole of said pipette sheath aperture pair; and detecting whether said optical beam exits unobstructed through said second cored hole of said first pipette sheath aperture pair, wherein the unobstructed exit of said optical beam through said second cored hole of said first pipette sheath is indicative of the absence of the pipette tip within the pipette sheath, and wherein obstructed exit of said optical beam though said second cored hole indicates the presence of the pipette tip within said first pipette sheath.
In another aspect, provided herein is a method of determining the length of a pipette tip within a pipette sheath of a unitized reagent strip, comprising: providing a unitized reagent strip comprising: a strip with a top side and a bottom side, said strip comprising: a process tube; a receptacle, comprising an opening through the reagent strip, wherein said receptacle is configured to receive a reagent tube; a first and a second pipette sheath, each of said pipette sheaths comprising: a first and second pipette tip aperture, respectively, each of which comprises a separate opening on the top side of the strip, and wherein said first and second pipette tip apertures are configured for insertion of a first and second pipette tip into said first and second pipette sheaths, respectively, and wherein each of said first and second pipette sheaths is configured to substantially surround the length of a first and second pipette tip, respectively; a top pipette sheath aperture pair and a bottom pipette sheath aperture pair within said first pipette sheath, said top and bottom aperture pairs each comprising a first and a second cored hole extending through a sidewall of the first pipette sheath, wherein the first and second cored holes of said top and bottom pipette sheath aperture pairs are located on opposite sides of the first pipette sheath, and positioned at the same distance along the length of the first pipette sheath from the first pipette tip aperture, and wherein said top pipette sheath aperture pair is located more proximal to the first pipette tip aperture than said bottom pipette sheath aperture pair; providing an optical beam through said first cored hole of said top pipette sheath aperture pair; providing an optical beam through said first cored hole of said bottom pipette sheath aperture pair; detecting whether said optical beam is obstructed from passing through said second cored hole of said top pipette sheath aperture pair; and detecting whether said optical beam is obstructed from passing through said bottom cored hole of said first pipette sheath aperture pair, wherein obstruction of said optical beam through the second cored hole of the top aperture pair and passage of said optical beam through said second cored hole of said bottom pipette sheath aperture pair indicates that the pipette tip within said first pipette sheath has a length that does not extend down to the bottom pipette sheath aperture pair when inserted into the first pipette sheath.
In yet another aspect, provided is a method of determining the length of a pipette tip within a pipette sheath of a unitized reagent strip, comprising: providing a unitized reagent strip comprising: a strip with a top side and a bottom side, said strip comprising: a process tube; a receptacle, comprising an opening through the reagent strip, wherein said receptacle is configured to receive a reagent tube; a first and a second pipette sheath, each pipette sheath comprising: a first and second pipette tip aperture, respectively, each of which comprises a separate opening on the top side of the strip, and wherein said first and second pipette tip apertures are configured for insertion of a first and second pipette tip into said first and second pipette sheaths, respectively, and wherein each of said first and second pipette sheaths is configured to substantially surround the length of a first and second pipette tip, respectively; a top pipette sheath aperture pair and a bottom pipette sheath aperture pair within said first pipette sheath, said top and bottom aperture pairs each comprising a first and a second cored hole extending through a sidewall of the first pipette sheath, wherein the first and second cored holes of said top and bottom pipette sheath aperture pairs are located on opposite sides of the first pipette sheath, and positioned at the same distance along the length of the pipette sheath from the pipette tip aperture, and wherein said top pipette sheath aperture pair is located more proximal to the first pipette tip aperture than said bottom pipette sheath aperture pair; providing an optical beam through said first cored hole of said top pipette sheath aperture pair; providing an optical beam through said first cored hole of said bottom pipette sheath aperture pair; detecting whether said optical beam is obstructed from passing through said second cored hole of said top pipette sheath aperture pair; and detecting whether said optical beam is obstructed from passing through said bottom cored hole of said first pipette sheath aperture pair, wherein obstruction of said optical beam through the second cored hole of the top aperture pair and passage of said optical beam through said second cored hole of said bottom pipette sheath aperture pair indicates that the pipette tip within said pipette sheath has a length that does not extend down to the bottom pipette sheath aperture pair when inserted into the pipette sheath.
In still another aspect, provided herein is a method of determining the length of a pipette tip within a pipette sheath of a unitized reagent strip, comprising: providing a unitized reagent strip comprising: a strip with a top side and a bottom side, said strip comprising: a process tube; a receptacle, comprising an opening through the reagent strip, wherein said receptacle is configured to receive a reagent tube; a first and a second pipette sheath, each comprising: a first and second pipette tip aperture, respectively, each of which comprises a separate opening on the top side of the strip, and wherein said first and second pipette tip apertures are configured for insertion of a first and second pipette tip into said first and second pipette sheaths, respectively, and wherein each of said first and second pipette sheaths is configured to substantially surround the length of a first and second pipette tip, respectively; a top cored hole and a bottom cored within said first pipette sheath, said top and bottom cored holes each extending through a sidewall of the pipette sheath, wherein said top cored hole is located more proximal to the first pipette tip aperture than said bottom cored hole; determining whether a pipette tip extends within said first pipette sheath from the first pipette tip aperture to the distance of the first cored hole; and determining whether a pipette tip extends within said first pipette sheath from the first pipette tip aperture to the distance of the second cored hole.